Vessel construction



R. P. DURHAM.

VESSEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION men NOV- 1. 1918.

Patented Aug. 19,1919;

2 SHEETS-SHEET l..

I INVENTOR I MW BY, I m/wfij/gmd, ATTORNEY R P. DURHAM.

VESSEL' CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1m

Patented Aug; 19, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY I ROBERT P. DURHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VESSEL CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application 1111" November 7. 1918. Serial No. 261.492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L Ronnn'r P. DURHAM,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVessel Constructlon, of which the followingis a descript on, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding numerals of reference in the different fi res indicate like parts.

The primary 0 ject of my invention is to provide a vessel or water-craft which may be cheaply constructed so as to combine buoyancy and stable equilibrium with simple and effective means for reslsting the various stresses to which it may be sub ected either from the character of the cargo, or from waves or storms. Y

A further object is to provide, as an incident to the structure, a protected or non.- exposed passage-way from end to end of the structure together with means for proper ventilation.

To these and other subsidiary ends, my invention consists in combining tubular, or hollow structures, preferabl cylindrical in cross-section, in such paral e1 relation and mutual intersection, that each will retain the maximum strength of its tubular con-- structionwhile the two may be combined to form an integral whole, monolythic or otherwise, in such a way as to provide storage capacity and operatin space longitudinally and upon opposite si es of the vessel in addition to an intermediate longitudinal airchamber so constructed as to insure buoyancy and stable equilibrium, while serving as a gallery or passage-way in conjunction. with the other operating space.

To these ends, my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more the features of my inof the body of the vessel taken upon the line 5'5, Fig. 1, i

Fig. 6, is an enlarged section in detail taken upon the line 66, Fig. 1,

Fig. 7, is a section taken upon the line 7-7, Fig. 5, viewed' as indicated by the arrow, and

Fig. 8, is a diagrammatic view in transverse section of a modified construction.

My improvement is adapted in its formatiom to the use of varying materials, such for example as wood, sheet metal or reinforced concrete. The preferred form shown in the examples illustrated contemplates a monolithic construction of concrete reinforced by means of steel bars or rods. Referrin to the drawings, 1 indicates generally, t e hull of a vessel of the barge type,

intended more especiall for the transportation of oil or other liquid cargoes. Said hull is composed of twin tubes 2 and 3, preferably cylindrical in cross-section, which are arranged parallel to each other throughout the length of the vessel; it being understood that the respective ends are closed or tapered or otherwise formed in any approved way as indicated generally in Figs. 3 and 4, to form the bow and stern of the vessel. The walls of said tubular members are caused to interlock with each other in. longitudinal 1 and 5, preferably 6 and 7 may be divided at will by means of transverse bulk-heads 11; the number and capacity of the spaces depending upon the relative length of the vessel and the dis-- tances by which the bulk-heads are separated from each other. The greater number of such lateral chambers are intended for storrage purposes while such others as 'may be found necessary may be utilized for operating space and for the reception of machinery. Assuming the space between the two bulk-heads 11, Fig. 5, forming the chambers 6 and v'7' to be for operating-space, openings 12 and 13 may be formed in the walls 9 and 10 to provide access to and from the passage way 8, which is extended from end to end of the vessel, and is provided with a walk 14,

(only a part of which is shown in Fig. 5),.

supported upon ledges 15, formed in the walls. The central space 8, is intended to serve not only as a gallery or passage-way, 5 but as an air or buoyancy-chamber as well; and hence has no open communication with any of the storage or cargo-chambers. The latter are provided with the requislte openings, not shown, for loading and unloading the cargo by means of pumps or otherwise.

In order to provide for the outside symmetry of the structure at top and bottom, as well as to reinforce it agamst lateral and vertical stresses, I provide vertical supports or members 16 and 17, Fig.1, at top and bottom respectively which are integral with the cylinders and in the plane of the intersecting portions 4- and 5. With the members 16 are connected lateral webs 18 and 19 20 which are integral with said supports and c linders 2 and 3, while with the members 1 are connected in like manner lateral webs 20 and 21. The result of this construction is to form longitudinal interspaces 22 and 23, extending throughout the length of the vessel, the former of which may be usedas an air space and for ventilating purposes, while the latter may be utilized not only for storage, but as a conduit in direct communication with the lateral storage spaces, throug'h openings not shown, by which oil or other liquid stored in the latter may be drawn by means of a suitable pump.

In order to impart greater strength and rigidity to the structure, I connect the members 16 and 17 by means of a series of vertical tie-rods 24, Figs. 1, 2 and 5, having nuts or heads 25 at each end embedded 1n the shell of the structure.

40 The space 22 may be in communication with ventilating shafts 26 and 27, Fig. 4.,

forward and aft, respectively, while the .operating space referred to, preferably in the middle of the vessel, may be. in communica- 46 tion with a pilot house or bridge 28, shown in said last named figure.

The cylinders forming the body of the vessel may be molded from concrete or other suitable plastic material, so as to form a complete integral or -monolithic structure. In forming them I prefer to make the walls somewhat thicker at the bottom as indicated in Fig. 1, than at the top, so as to. provide for-the relative pressures. Thecylinders are reinforced, preferably by means of two sets of encircling steel or iron bars 29 and 30, respectively, embedded in the concrete and arranged to cross each other in the manner shown in Figs. v5 and 6, and also by means of parallel longitudinal bars 31, extending continuously throughout the length of the vessel. It would probably be desirable in forming the structure to mold it in sections; inwhich case the meeting ends of the longitudinal reinforcing rods should be welded to ether as the sections are added, the space eing afterward filled with concrete.

The bulk-heads 11 are molded integrally With-the cylinders and are reinforced by means of rods 32, 33, arranged to cross each other as best shown in Fig. 7.

It is obvious that a structure embodying the features 'of the intersecting cylinders and the central longitudinal buoyancy cham- 7 5 ber may be made from steel plates riveted or welded together. Such a construction is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 8, in which the two intersecting cylinders 34, 35 and the other parts associated therewith at the top and bottom are joined in a well known Way in their planes of intersection by means of angle-irons 36, 37 and 28, respectively.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, inasmuch as it may be varied in detail without departing from the spirit'of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A vessel, comprising, incombination, a plurality of tubular members arranged in parallel relation to each other, the shell or wall of each being arranged to intersect that of its fellow to form three independent longitudinal chambers, the central one to constitute a buoyancy-chamber.

2.'A vessel, comprising a plurality of hollow tubes arranged in parallel relation to each other and rigidly, interlocked in cross-section and in longitudinal intersecting planes to provide laterally disposed holds or storage-chambers and an intervening longitudinal buoyancy-chamber formed by the intersecting and interlocking walls of said tubes. 5

3. A vessel comprising closed hollow cylinders arranged in parallel interlocking re/ lation to each other by causing the walls thereof to intersect to form parallel longitudinal holds or storage-chambers and an intervening buoyancy-chamber, the latter being formed by the intersecting arcs of said cylinders.

4. A vessel, the hullof which is composed of two parallel integral tubes arranged to 11 intersect each other in cross-section to form three longitudinal chambers, one intermediate of the others, saidintermediate chamber comprising a buoyancy-chamber for said vessel. v l

5. A vessel, the hull of which is composed of parallel, 'mutually intersecting ri 'dly connected tubular members arrange to form three longitudinal chambers, one of which constitutes a buoyancy chamber for the structure.

6. A vessel, composed of two parallel integral tubular intersecting members caused by their intersection to form three longitudinal chambers, the central one of which constitutes a buoyancy-chamber, the others being adapted for operating and carrying purposes, the operating space being in communication with said buoyancy-chamber.

7. A "vessel having a hull composed of parallel tubular members having their walls interlocked in mutual intersecting relation to form longitudinal chambers, the central one of which is continuous and constitutes a gallery for operative communication with other parts of the vessel while serving as a buoyancy-chamber. 8. A monolithic vessel formed from reintubes with intersecting walls; to form lateral carrying and operating chambers, and a central longitud nal gallery.

9. A vessel comprising a plurality of hollow tubes, the walls of which intersect to form three adjacent lon itudinal chambers, the central. one of which constitutes a gallery and integral webbing extending from cylinder to cylinder attop and bottom of the vessel throughout its length, to form longitudinal chambers at to andbotto'm,

respectively, the former serving as a 'ventilating conduit and the latter as a supplemental storage chamber.

10.-A vessel, comprising, in combmation,

. a plurality of tubular members arranged in parallel relation with intersecting walls to form triple longitudinal chambers the intervening one bein continuous while the others are divided by ulk-heads to provide carrying and operating space, the operating space being in communication with said in forced concrete molded in the form of ROBERT P. DURHAM.

Witnesses:

DAVID H. FLETCHER, JAMES MCMASTERS. 

